How to Pronounce “accountability”

American (US)

/əˌkaʊn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/

British (UK)

/əˌkaʊn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/

Australian (AU)

/əˌkæɔn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/

noun — The state of being accountable; liability to be called on to render an account or give an explanation; liability to be held responsible or answerable for something.

Where the stress falls. “accountability” has 6 syllables, and the transcription /əˌkaʊn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the fourth one — so the fourth syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /əˌkaʊn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/ contains a schwa /ə/ — the short, neutral “uh” that English unstressed syllables collapse into. Saying /ə/ there, instead of the vowel the spelling suggests, is most of what makes the word sound native.

What does "accountability" mean?

accountability (noun): The state of being accountable; liability to be called on to render an account or give an explanation; liability to be held responsible or answerable for something.

How do you pronounce "accountability" in American vs British English?

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "accountability", /əˌkaʊn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/, so the difference you hear is in how the vowels are coloured rather than in which sounds are used. Play both on this page to compare.

What is the IPA transcription of "accountability"?

/əˌkaʊn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/ in American English, /əˌkaʊn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/ in British English, /əˌkæɔn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/ in Australian English.

Which syllable is stressed in "accountability"?

“accountability” has 6 syllables, and the transcription /əˌkaʊn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the fourth one — so the fourth syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.